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Is Wealth Becoming More Polarized in the United States?

In: International Perspectives on Household Wealth

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  • Conchita D’Ambrosio
  • Edward N. Wolff

Abstract

The contributors to this comprehensive book compile and analyse the latest data available on household wealth using, as case studies, the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Finland during the 1990s and into the twenty-first century. The authors show that in the US, trends are highlighted in terms of wealth holdings, among the low-income population, along with changes in wealth polarization, racial differences in wealth holdings, and the dynamics of portfolio choices. The consensus between the authors is that wealth inequality has generally risen among these OECD countries since the early 1980s, although Germany stands out as an exception. In the case of the US, it is also noted that wealth holdings have generally failed to improve among low-income families and that the racial wealth gap widened during the late 1980s.

Suggested Citation

  • Conchita D’Ambrosio & Edward N. Wolff, 2006. "Is Wealth Becoming More Polarized in the United States?," Chapters, in: Edward N. Wolff (ed.), International Perspectives on Household Wealth, chapter 12, Edward Elgar Publishing.
  • Handle: RePEc:elg:eechap:3654_12
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Esteban, Joan & Ray, Debraj, 1994. "On the Measurement of Polarization," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 62(4), pages 819-851, July.
    2. Rebecca M. Blank & David Card, 1993. "Poverty, Income Distribution, and Growth: Are They Still Connected," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 24(2), pages 285-340.
    3. Conchita D’ambrosio, 2001. "Household Characteristics and the Distribution of Income In Italy: An Application of Social Distance Measures," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 47(1), pages 43-64, March.
    4. Esteban, Joan & Ray, Debraj, 1999. "Conflict and Distribution," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 87(2), pages 379-415, August.
    5. Levy, Frank & Murnane, Richard J, 1992. "U.S. Earnings Levels and Earnings Inequality: A Review of Recent Trends and Proposed Explanations," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 30(3), pages 1333-1381, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Joan Esteban & Debraj Ray, 2005. "A Comparison of Polarization Measures," Working Papers 310, Barcelona School of Economics.
    2. Deborah A. Cobb-Clark & Vincent A. Hildebrand, 2006. "The Wealth of Mexican Americans," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 41(4).
    3. Yoonseok Lee & Donggyun Shin, 2013. "Measuring Social Unrest Based on Income Distribution," Center for Policy Research Working Papers 160, Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University.
    4. Robert Haveman & Edward Wolff, 2005. "The concept and measurement of asset poverty: Levels, trends and composition for the U.S., 1983–2001," The Journal of Economic Inequality, Springer;Society for the Study of Economic Inequality, vol. 2(2), pages 145-169, January.
    5. Juan Prieto Rodríguez & Juan Gabriel Rodríguez & Rafael Salas, 2004. "Interactions inequality-polarization: an impossibility result," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2004/64, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    6. Juan Gabriel Rodríguez, 2004. "Measuring polarization, inequality, welfare and poverty," Economic Working Papers at Centro de Estudios Andaluces E2004/75, Centro de Estudios Andaluces.
    7. Juan Prieto-Rodríguez & Juan Gabriel Rodríguez & Rafael Salas, "undated". "Interactions Inequality-Polarization: Characterization Results(*)," Working Papers 15-05 Classification-JEL , Instituto de Estudios Fiscales.
    8. Jean-Yves Duclos & Joan Esteban & Debraj Ray, 2004. "Polarization: Concepts, Measurement, Estimation," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 72(6), pages 1737-1772, November.
    9. Thomas Goda, 2014. "Global trends in relative and absolute wealth concentrations," Documentos de Trabajo de Valor Público 10897, Universidad EAFIT.
    10. Modrego, F. & Celis, X. & Berdegué, J., 2008. "Polarización étnica de los ingresos rurales en el sur de Chile," Working papers 015, Rimisp Latin American Center for Rural Development.
    11. Matías Horenstein & Sergio Olivieri, 2004. "Polarización del Ingreso en la Argentina: Teoría y Aplicación de la Polarización Pura del Ingreso," CEDLAS, Working Papers 0015, CEDLAS, Universidad Nacional de La Plata.
    12. Wang, Chen & Wan, Guanghua, 2015. "Income polarization in China: Trends and changes," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 58-72.

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